Björn Halldórsson (5 December, 1724 – 24 August, 1794) was an Icelandic priest and author based at Setberg, Grundarfjörður. He is also believed to be the first person to grow

potatoes The potato () is a starchy tuberous vegetable native to the Americas that is consumed as a staple food in many parts of the world. Potatoes are underground stem tubers of the plant ''Solanum tuberosum'', a perennial in the nightshade famil ...

in Iceland. His most popular book,

Atli Atli is an Old Norse masculine personal name, and may refer to: People * Atli the Slender, a 9th-century earl of Sogn, Norway * Atli Viðar Björnsson (born 1980), Icelandic footballer * Atli Dam (1932–2005), five-time prime minister of the Fa ...

was published in 1780.

Personal life

Halldórsson was the brother-in-law of

Eggert Ólafsson Eggert Ólafsson (1 December 1726 – 30 May 1768 (age 41)) was an Icelandic explorer, writer and conservator of the Icelandic language. He also worked to revive the Icelandic culture and economy. Background He was the son of a farmer from Svefn ...

, being married to Rannveig Ólafsdóttir.

References

{{Reflist 1724 births 1794 deaths Icelandic Christian clergy 18th-century Icelandic writers